Shenandoah to join ODAC

Shenandoah has played three ODAC opponents each of
the past two years, and played two ODAC teams in football the two
years previous.
Shenandoah athletics photo

Shenandoah president Tracy Fitzsimmons announced Wednesday afternoon
that its athletics department has been offered and accepted
membership in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

The Hornets' 20-program department will become the 14th full member of the ODAC on
July 1, 2012. Until that time, Shenandoah, located in Winchester,
Va., will continue its primary membership in the USA South for most
sports and associate membership for men's lacrosse in the Colonial
States Athletic Conference. The addition of Shenandoah brings the
number of football schools in the ODAC to eight, while the USA
South will be reduced to seven, still enough for an automatic
bid.

A decision about conference membership for women's field hockey
and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field,
currently members of the Middle Atlantic Conference, will be
announced shortly.

The change in membership is the first for the department since
it joined the USA South (nee Dixie) as an active member in July
1993. SU joined the CSAC (then called Pennsylvania Athletic) in
1998 for men's lacrosse and the MAC for field hockey and men's and
women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2009.

"This is a great day for SU, our athletic department and
especially for our student-athletes," stated Fitzsimmons. "I
believe that SU's competitive athletic program and strong
commitment to academics make us a good fit for the ODAC. I
look forward to years of spirited competition with our ODAC
colleagues."

The ODAC offer of membership completes a process that has
existed unofficially or officially since the early 1980s.

"We are pleased to have Shenandoah University as the 14th member
of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference," said ODAC commissioner
Brad Bankston. "The invitation concludes a thorough study of
our conference and its membership options. Shenandoah is a
great academic and athletic fit that possesses a broad-based
athletics program grounded in the Division III model – a
model that places the emphasis on the student-athlete's entire
educational experience."

By joining the ODAC, Shenandoah cuts its average travel distance
to conference schools by nearly 100 miles with football improving
by 135 miles and women's lacrosse by 207.

The shortest trip that Shenandoah currently has to a USA South
football institution is 210 miles to Ferrum. Ten of the 13 ODAC
schools are closer than the distance from SU to Ferrum and five are
less than 150 miles from Winchester.

"We have enjoyed a significant history in the USA South, but we
have always wanted to be affiliated with one conference for our 20
intercollegiate programs," athletics director Wayne
Edwards said.

"The Old Dominion Athletic Conference provides that opportunity
and is synonymous with academic and athletic excellence. We are
thrilled to have the opportunity to become a full member of the
ODAC and look forward to meaningful and collegial relationships
with each of the other 13 schools in the conference. We are
grateful to the ODAC presidents and athletics directors for their
membership invitation, and to Commissioner Brad Bankston for his
facilitation of the entire process.

"I want to thank Rita Wiggs, the commissioner of the USA South
Athletic Conference, for her patience and professionalism during
this process. We were open and honest with each other from the
beginning, and this enabled the process to proceed smoothly and
without dissension.

"We look forward to finishing our time in the USA South in a
positive and constructive manner. I have tremendous respect for all
of the USA South institutions, their athletics directors and staffs
and appreciate their understanding our reasons for making this
change in conference affiliation. Shenandoah will provide
assistance in every possible way as the USA South works through
this change in membership."